The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. - Anonymous A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. - Josh Billings If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. - Mark Twain
I got the above quotations from a friendster bulletin of Kuya Ed, and I remembered this picture of my St. Bernard "Jhamailla" whom I fondly call Jha-jha. I have had her for two years and of all the dogs we have, it is her that I am most fond of. I have always been a dog-lover for as long as i can remember. As a kid, I had a mongrel(the one filipinos commonly call "askal"), and being an only child I used to find myself with no one to talk to since both of my parents had jobs. Call it crazy but I usually find myself talking to the dog like it was a person and that it could understand what I was saying. Maybe it was out of loneliness or the absence of an actual person to converse with that I ended up doing so. Believe it or not, i still do, especially with jha-jha.
She never ceases to amaze me, call it imagination or whatever, but i always get a bark or a tilt of her head if only to let me feel that she understood what I was saying. It always felt like she could really relate, and if only they could talk instead of bark, maybe...just maybe...
Relating the quotations above with my experience with my St. Bernard, one characteristic that is hard to find in a friend is loyalty. Well, I mean it is easy to say that you are loyal to a person, the question is..for how long? I have survived 26 years of my life and honestly a loyal friend is very hard to find. While it is human nature for a person to get hurt or probably get angry, the results of this emotions may sometimes be the point of no return in ones' friendship, or any relationship for that matter. But try slapping a dog with all your anger..after some yelping from the dog, after sometime the dog comes back with a wagging tail. You don't expect the same kind of reaction from a human being.
Suppose i raise the argument that "the human is more superior than animals because it has a mind capable of thinking, and a heart that can love with all the emotion it can muster."? Must I point out that whereas an animal or specifically a dog may be considered a lower from of specie as compared to a human, it is much more capable of being a role model when it comes to "loyalty". I was able to prove this time and again with jha-jha. Her looks tend to be misleading since she has the tendency to look fierce and angry all the time..but to tell you the truth..I never found a person who would be standing in front of your doorstep waiting for you in the wee hours of the night(baka may comment ng "ano ko tagabantay mo???====> pangungunahan ko na po kayo :>) I would always find jha-jha waiting in her cage for me..all alert..ready to strike when the possibility of danger arises...that's how loyal a dog can get. Willing (and I guess much too willing than a human person) to give up her life for her master. So what's my point????
It would make the world a more peaceful place if only-------->
1. We learn to forgive and be loyal to the friends we have (stop bad-mouthing them when you are on a fight...you're only putting yourself to shame by doing so)
2. Believe that in this world, no one can exist alone..you know like the saying goes "No man is an island". No one is saying that you don't have the right to get hurt...just don't make it the reason for you to fall apart with the people close to your heart and value so much. It's easy to say "i can manage without you/them"..but can you really?
3. Try to be a dog sometimes..now let me clarify that...be loyal and trustworthy...let us be selfless sometimes and not think of what we have to gain other than the gift of friendship. While it is true that we have to value our pride and the "person" inside us, let's not forget that the best love is selfless love. One that doesn't demand for anything in return, but rather it seeks happiness in the opportunity of showing his/her love to another being.
Let me re-quote that of Josh Billings-->A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
Labels: dogs, hobbies, pet lover, quotations, St Bernard |
If I could reach my nether regions and lick myself like most dogs do, I'd be fairly content. No worries about food or shelter or the coolest ringtone and such. What a life that would be, indeed.
All in jest, of course. Nice blog.